Many Vaudreuil-Dorion residents were surprised when they received their municipal tax bill: a significant increase in the value of their property. However, Mayor Guy Pilon is keen to qualify the impact of this increase and put things into perspective.

Although property assessments have gone up, the mayor reminds us that what needs to be observed above all is the tax rate. "People, when they get their tax bill, what they have to look at is the tax rate. They have to compare the 2024 rate with the 2025 rate. That's where I want people to compare. Not on percentages," insists Guy Pilon.

To limit the impact of the increase in property assessment, the Town has chosen to reduce its tax rate for 2025 to $0.4541 per $100 of assessment, compared with $0.5984 in 2024.

"What happens when we have such a low tax rate is that as soon as we increase it by even $0.04, it gives us a 10% increase. Because the property assessment is going up, we have a choice: either we lower the rate, or we don't touch it," explains the mayor.

A marked increase in property values
The new triennial assessment roll for 2025-2027 reflects an average increase of 40.33% in the value of homes in Vaudreuil-Dorion. For the average single-family home, the assessment has risen from $419,200 to $588,200.

This surge can be explained by a general increase in prices on the real estate market. However, the assessment is based on property values as at July 1, 2023, which means that price increases since that date have not yet been taken into account.

In concrete terms, the property tax on an average home will increase by $162 per year, or about $14 per month, or less than $4 per week.

Mayor Pilon points out, however, that the impact of this increase will not be the same for all homeowners: “For some, there will be a tax decrease, while for others, it will remain stable.”

He also points out that Vaudreuil-Dorion ranks 4th among cities with the lowest property tax, behind Drummondville, Sorel-Tracy and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

Different calculations for different cities

According to Mayor Pilon, some municipalities choose not to include certain costs in their tax rates, such as those related to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) or waste management.

"There are cities that will say the tax increase is just 1.3%, but put fees like those for the CMM, SQ or garbage separately. Once all these charges are added, the final bill no longer represents a 1.3% increase," explains Guy Pilon.

Value-added services for citizens

Finally, the mayor also recalls all the free or low-cost services available to Vaudreuil-Dorion citizens.

"We have calculated that each year, we offer between $1,500 and $1,600 in services and activities to citizens. Think of the various cultural programs, the arena and all the other free or subsidized activities offered by the city. These are all costs that citizens don't have to pay," he emphasizes.